A peace agreement between warring ethnic groups was signed in October, but conditions are still tense because weapons are plentiful and the police force is essentially powerless to confront former militants and criminals. Officers receive little support from the government, which is almost insolvent because of large compensation payments made to supposedly aggrieved parties following the conflict. Such payments have inflated expectations of further government handouts and prompted threats of violence. With no money left to pass out, the government faces possible unrest.
